"Old man, Mr. Fool just told me that Klein's side is ready. We can head over now."
After a brief moment of "stupor," Leonard lowered his voice. Ever since he attended a gathering of the Joker Club, he had naturally learned of The Fool's existence. Some time ago, due to matters involving Pallez's descendants, he was pulled into Sefirah Castle as a middleman. Being well-connected, he seamlessly joined the Tarot Club, becoming "The Star."
Leonard had no objections to this. As someone with connections, he was vaguely aware of the cooperation between the Church and Lucifer's side. Though he didn't know the details, he understood that the Goddess, The Fool, and Lucifer were something akin to allies, so joining an allied force didn't bother him.
"I understand," Pallez said, manifesting his form with a nod. He glanced at Leonard, who was muttering, "I wonder how Klein's doing," and shook his head.
This foolish student of his… well, he could be considered fortunate in his simplicity.
Though he hadn't infiltrated Alaric's core circle, Pallez, as a seasoned veteran who had lived for thousands of years, could clearly see the importance Alaric and his group placed on Klein. He was certain that even if Klein didn't become the Lord of Mysteries, becoming an King of Angel would be effortless... and an King of Angel with powerful backers, no less. Compared to a rootless Sequence 1 like himself, Klein's future was far brighter.
As Klein's good friend, Leonard would naturally reap some benefits. With Pallez, this "grandfather," by his side, even if Leonard remained a fool his whole life, his days wouldn't be too tough.
Except for being buried in paperwork… Pallez glanced at Leonard, the corners of his mouth twitching into a kind smile, though his words were rather cold: "Stop grinning like an idiot. Your former colleague is already Sequence 5. And you? When will you advance to Spirit Warlock?"
As he spoke, Pallez shook his head and sighed, adopting a demeanor of "look at how other people's children are doing compared to you."
Leonard opened his mouth, clearly feeling wronged. After a long pause, he said, "I just advanced to Soul Assurer…"
He had only recently accumulated enough merits to become a Soul Assurer. Optimistically, his next advancement would take at least half a year, and even several years wouldn't be surprising.
After all, advancing from Sequence 6 to Sequence 5 was no easy feat. Countless people in the Church were stuck at this level, never moving up.
"As if Klein's been at Sequence 5 for ages," Pallez retorted, listing the timeline with a sigh. "When he was a regular person, you were Sequence 8. When he reached Sequence 8, you were still Sequence 8. Now he's Sequence 5, and you're only just Sequence 6. Alas!"
"Back then, you even told him that two protagonists of different eras had met. Now he actually looks like a protagonist of the era. And you?"
"He's my friend!" Leonard first corrected Pallez's way of addressing his buddy with a hint of dissatisfaction, then said, "How can I compare to Klein? He's so incredible, and I'm just an ordinary person."
Though during his more delusional days, Leonard had fantasized about being some era's protagonist, harsh reality had long since woken him up to the fact that he was just an ordinary person.
"And…" Leonard muttered in protest, "At my age, Sequence 6 is already pretty impressive."
He was only in his early twenties, considered a young talent in the Church. There weren't many more gifted than him.
"Heh!" Pallez let out a cold laugh, then sighed again. His gaze toward Leonard now carried a genuine hint of frustration, no longer just teasing.
"Fine, I know you're dim. I can't expect you to measure up to him," Pallez said, shaking his head. "The key to digesting the Soul Assurer potion lies in pacifying souls. I wandered around Backlund a couple of days ago and found a few good spots. Go there and guide those lingering spirits to rest. It should help you digest your Soul Assurer potion faster."
At this, Leonard's eyes lit up. "Thank you, old man!" Then, as if struck by a thought, he asked with some confusion, "But haven't you been reading newspapers at home these past few days? When did you go out?"
"I'm an Angel of the Marauder pathway!" Pallez nearly rolled his eyes, snapping, "Even if I'm not like Amon with avatars scattered across the world, I still have my own avatars."
"Oh, right, that's true," Leonard nodded thoughtfully. It wasn't that he didn't know about avatars; he just subconsciously overlooked it since Pallez was always hovering around him.
"Alright, get ready. We'll head out soon," Pallez said, too exasperated to dwell on the topic further, fearing he'd anger himself to death. "If you have anything you want to bring to Klein, prepare it now. Don't tell me you forgot something once we're on the way."
"Oh, oh, I'll get on it!" Leonard hurriedly rushed off to pack. He had recently visited the newlywed Captain and Lady Daly, catching up with them and taking a photo together. They had talked about Klein, and the Captain, concerned about Klein's current situation, had entrusted Leonard with a letter for him.
Leonard naturally wanted to seize this chance to deliver the letter, along with some local specialties he had picked up during his recent missions across various places, to share his experiences with his friend.
…
While Leonard was frantically packing, Alaric and his group returned to the Future.
The Future looked much the same as when they had left, except for the presence of two additional people.
"Captain! You're back so soon?" Danitz said, spotting Edwina conversing with Cattleya. He hurried over, only to freeze as his gaze landed on another figure nearby. His eyes widened, and he frowned. "Anderson, what are you doing here?"
Indeed, the two new faces on the Future were Edwina and Anderson, the strongest bounty hunter of the Fog Sea.
"If you can be here, why can't I?" Anderson shot Danitz a provocative grin, then continued, "You should be glad it's me accompanying your captain to the Future. At least I'm not your rival in love. If it were someone else, tsk!"
As he spoke, Anderson shook his head with an expression that said, "You'd be in trouble then."
Who knows if you're my rival? You even tugged at the Captain's hair once… Danitz gritted his teeth, still wary of Anderson. After all, while in literature, childhood friends often lose to newcomers, in reality, childhood sweethearts end up together far too often.
"Haha, I see caution, jealousy, and stereotypes in your eyes. Save it, kid. Instead of worrying about me, you should keep an eye on the one behind you," Anderson said to Danitz before turning his gaze to Alaric. "Friend, you're almost too handsome. Is that face even real?"
***
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